Shoot
by Wicked R
Summary: in a desperate attempt to get Cole off her back, Pheobe is playing matchmaker
1. Chapter 1

Title: Shoot  
Author: Wicked R  
Disclaimers: indeed. Cole is not mine. Oh, no! … But thanks for the opportunity to play with him.  
Genre: Romance  
Rating: G  
Universe: early season 5.  
Summary: The sisters are following a sorcerer and bump into a couple of surprises.  
Warning: not beta read.

"We let ourselves being sidetracked by underlings and let the sorcerer run away," Phoebe frowned. They had been as surprised as anyone would be when Leo told them that the long time dead ancient warlock had risen from the grave in the eerie old cemetery, but however it was, they needed to follow the undead guy and end his second, unholy life.

"Don't worry, he's in Lafayette Park," Leo orbed to their aid.

"Let's finish the job," Paige took hold of Phoebe confidently. As they had the potion and all, with Piper in her last trimester of her pregnancy, they didn't even think they would need their older sister's assistance for the vanquish. But an entire group of the dogsbodies waited for them as they orbed after the sorcerer.

Phoebe wasn't panicking, why would she? They were about ten demons or so, she met more at once before. They had a strategy that usually worked, Paige deflecting fire balls, Phoebe going forward with the attack, staying close to Paige nevertheless, in case they needed to orb out. She thrust backward into one opponent, turned to the right and finished another with a downward slash, turned then to the left, finishing one there too. They were low level demons, vanquishable with a simple knife. With one quick swing, one demon slammed a boomerang into her back in the meantime. She turned towards him, "that did hurt, but you're going to be dirt!" rhymed Phoebe in an intimidating manner, killing the demon with the clever little spell. But another connected its blade with her left arm, making her cry out and getting a hold of her due to her momentary disadvantage. She was gathering new strength together to set herself free, when suddenly, the demon was thrown backwards by a woman clad in a sexy cherry dress who rushed forward and thrown it off balance. When on the ground, the woman threw some potion on the demon, making it disintegrate. She moved quickly and precisely targeted another demon with another small vial. Phoebe recognised kickboxing, kenpo, and muy thai techniques amongst others in her moves, some she once learnt from Cole. The woman knew exactly what she was doing and why, and she used some skills that were only written about in magic books. With the help, the minions were easy meat. They were either scared away or finished off in milliseconds.

"Who are you?" inquired her the newcomer as Paige orbed the last attacker's sword away, making it possible for the woman to vanquish the demon.

"Phoebe, and this is my sister Paige. We are the Charmed Ones."

"Diane, charmed to meet you," she put her remaining vials away, and cleaned her rapier from the green goo. Phoebe's assumption was that she was a witch, she recognised the arrogance with which this girl treated demons from somewhere…

They all looked in the a direction of a blur and saw Cole landing with a big frown in the biggest heap of demon goo the girls caused, "Diana," the name sounded so natural coming from his mouth.

"You're late, Belthazor," addressed the demon Diane.

"I got sidetracked by some familiar orbing to track," gesticulated Cole towards Paige and Phoebe.

"You know each other?" asked Diana. Cole and Phoebe were staring at each other, not uttering a word, "hallo?"

Paige took the initiative to enlighten Diana, "rather well. Of the love interest variety."

"Love interest? A witch? Isn't that a bit risky?" Diana asked Cole leaning intimately towards him.

"Past love interest," corrected herself Paige, while Phoebe felt her legs shaking. Nervousness crept into her whole being when the stranger patted Cole on the arm. This made no sense, but this way, at least, maybe she didn't have to persevere with pushing Cole away, cause he would keep his own distance.

"Well, whatever Belthazor, I'm in a hurry," urged on Diana, "you know, things to deliver. I kept myself to the agreement in return for the gemstone. Box nr. 278927 at the Geneva Bank. Here," she handed him a small square object.

"This is open!" Cole protested.

"Of course. I might like you, but I'm a demonic thief. It's a full time occupation. I had to see I'm not handing over something I must have for myself...unfortunately all these shares are worth nothing without the true and authentic…"

"Can we talk about this in private please?" talked into her blabber Cole.

"…signature of some Coleridge Benjamin Turner. But then, I rate it would value over 80 million pou…"

Cole only reached her by this time and it was too late.

Phoebe understood all in a millisecond, "what is your business with the sorcerer?" The whole situation seemed a bit hilarious. Cole was rich, she wasn't supposed to know about it, he got some demonic robber to get him his money back and she mistaken her for a witch.

"The Sorcerer? He set me up," the woman answered, "I'd like to get to him though, we have some business to finish. I got him his vase, or whatever it was. He didn't give me the money."

"Diana, why do you need money? You must be very rich with the gemstones and all," said Cole.

"Not as rich as someone not a million miles away."

Cole turned to Phoebe, "don't misunderstand me. It is my father's money. I didn't get it any wrong way."

"No? It seems extremely unnecessary to me that you would explain this to me," stated Phoebe, "although why is it you wanted to keep it a secret you are a millionaire?"

"Divorce is on the way?" Paige speculated.

"Ok, well, whatever, I don't want his money anyway," Phoebe laughed nervously.

"I didn't wanna tell you because I knew you'd misunderstand..." Cole started.

"Does it matter Cole? Look, I need to get that sorcerer now."

"You wanna join me and we kick his ass?" offered Diana to the witches. All in all, the girl seemed so sure of herself, sure of being superior, sure in battle, conceited and successful in what she was doing.

"We don't associate with demonic thieves. In fact we don't associate with demonic anything," Paige told her.

"Just if it's a love interest," Diane noted mockingly.

"Look, she is an outcast in the demonic world, just like me," Cole explained, "if you're not nice to me, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be nice to her. She doesn't even have a lethal power," he took Diane's side.

"And I can track the sorcerer," Diane offered.

"Lead," Phoebe offered a hand to get shimmered, "but our alliance for one minute doesn't mean anything. We will judge you by your deeds."

"There," Diane pointed at the sorcerer as they could see him from behind a rock in the underworld, "but before we do anything, you wanna tell me if you are still interested in Belthazor?"

"Me? No. You are I suppose?"

"That's a definite. But he seems to be a bit complicated."

"Believe me, he is."

"Still. Tell me how to get him."

"Kick his ass or make him fall in love with you?"

"The kick his ass bit is already done."

"Oh, well, ok. You want him? Love him. As easy as that. He is yours. I was very clear on the fact he can't hope for me anymore. Now can we get going with that vanquish?"

tbc


	2. The In Thing

Chapter 2: The In Thing

"Did you say you are meeting Cole today?" Paige asked Phoebe before she went out the door for work.

"Uh, don't remind me," Phoebe looked for her car keys in her bag.

"You know, it's not a bad idea," Paige nodded.

"What? Meeting Cole? Don't tell me you're on his side now. Okay, I can understand you stopping him leave if it was about me living under the ocean forever, but we should actually encourage him to remember that he was packing to go away!"

"Yes, I'm on it. I did some research on Diane. It's exactly as Cole said, she hasn't lived in the underworld for the last seventy years and although she made a fortune by using her shimmering to steal things, she didn't hurt a fly, which is probably as good as any demon gets."

"So what are getting at Paige? I still don't understand. Since when did you become a legal representative of demons?"

"I didn't. I just had a little thought, mind you. You want Cole to stop mulling over you, right? This dazzling demon woman has a crush on him and he doesn't completely seem to mind. On top of it, she not a threat, the most we would have to do with her is tip Darryl about her, if we need to. She looks as if she prefers to live by the rules of our society than anything else. Point is, a right push in the right direction could convince Cole that Diane is a better choice for him. On the top of all, if it pays off, it still keeps Cole on the side of the good, even with a demon by his side."

"You think? I mean would he be willing to sign the divorce papers?"

"It might open his eyes where he should look for his happiness," Paige nodded a bit uncertainly herself, "it's worth a shot, don't you think?"

"And what do you think I should do?" Phoebe crunched her forehead, "I can't just tell him that, it will never work. He is still hoping I will be able to trust him one day."

"Ask him to spy on Diane for us, say we're not sure about her and that she's a good demon. The institution of a good demon itself. That's true, isn't it? That would make them meet and also make Cole feel he is in the same situation as Diane. At the same time, I'll orb to Diane, make sure she takes a direct approach. She does want him after all."

"You're a whiz kid, Paige. But even if it will work, it will be a slow process you know that?"

"Better later than never."

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Cole tried to blur in somewhere close to Diane to see what she was up to, just as Phoebe requested. Although he doubted the charming demoness would have done any jobs for any of the leaders of the fractions of the Underworld lately, he wanted to acquire some evidence, since he knew that the Charmed Ones would vanquish first, ask questions later. The alleged meeting between Sitri, the head of the necromancers and Diane about the abduction of some first quality bodies was supposed to take place at that moment, but maybe Leo got it wrong, because Cole couldn't hear anything. Could be, the whitelighter was rather vague and confused regarding the whole subject. Nevertheless, when Cole tried to make himself corporeal, he found himself outside Diane's earthly home, at the gates of sized mansion set in the middle of English gardens, with the entrance overlooked by marble balconies with a rich mosaic dome, under the drizzling rain of the typical British countryside. She must've gone up market since he last met her. The house was magically protected, that was the only reason why he couldn't blur in, and Cole cursed as he realised that, but he was going to achieve what he went there for. He manually pressed the doorbell, at least to have a chance to talk to the master thief. In a couple of moments' time, he felt the irritating sensation of once again, being magically identified, then an instant later, Diane opened the door to see Cole looking as if he was uncomfortable.

"Hey, come on in," she said. The cerulean half see-through dress made her black hair looking more shiny. She didn't ask him why he came. But then again, there was a time, not even a decade ago, when he used to turn up at the her house uninvited, and she would never ask, just touch him and shimmer him upstairs just the way she did now, tempting him to action with her big chocolate eyes, "settle down on the carpet and take your clothes off. I'll be here in a minute. I just have some business to finish."

Cole found himself confused. He didn't feel like laying down on the floor, especially because of the memories it would've evoked, but if he refused her right now, he would be thrown out and wouldn't find out about her plans, "don't be too long," he complied, but in the same time ordered her with his best Belthazor voice he could still master, one that most demons came to honour.

Diane simply walked over to the adjacent room, not even intending to hide anything from him where in fact, she was only talking on the phone, "I'm here...yes...so I would like to lay emphasis on my ownership of the asset, as agreed by legally binding verbal contracts previously undertaken amid the two affected parties. I hereby remind you of your contractual obligations. Failure to do so will result in severe action being taken against you, maximum penalty would be the removal of all your ownership of the prize. To confirm our agreement, please sign my letter and fax it over...yes...I look forward to it. Bye," she walked back into the room, undoing her magnificent thick hair locks that could work as clothing if required.

"Problem? Maybe I could help?"

"Are you offering you legal services? I'm more interesting in you other services, my golden purrty," she called him by his old nickname she found him because of Belthazor's somewhat catlike appearance. She then dematerialised, but just so she can encircle him all over with her particles, going under his underwear mischievously, fondling his thigh and teasingly threatening to glide higher, "did you miss that?" She materialised to talk, but without her dress.

"Yes. But not nowadays," he decided to play straight, mostly because of the implications of not doing so. If he wasn't going to find out this easily about her plans,

he'll just have to follow her around more without her knowing, "knock it off. I came with a business proposition."

"So? That never meant we can't have fun. Not even when the Source wanted you to hurry up."

"No."

Diane didn't like to be rebuffed, especially when she was trying to seduce people, "I don't understand you," the woman's voice was composed, with a potentially lethal undercurrent to it.

"If you don't remember well, you poisoned me before just to conform to some contract of yours?"

"And? No big deal, amongst demons at least."

"We're not amongst demons. At least we're not trying to be. Or do I know wrong? You back with them?"

"That's really funny Belthazor. In the past you tolerated me as an outsider when you were the Source's right hand and now that you live among humans the same way I do, you don't put up with me? What's more, you're a pretence! The Charmed Ones don't trust you and you play the not trusting game with me? You know what? I'll tell you. I was given the job of stealing the book of shadows. If someone can, I am the one, you know that. But I didn't. I didn't even try. They didn't try vanquish me the moment they found out who I was and that was enough for me not to go against them. See? I have changed. In some ways, I wouldn't do much for money, because, well, I have tonnes of the stuff. I missed you..."

"I'm married. I can't."

"Come on Cole, she wants a divorce. She wanted to know for sure I will try to seduce you."

"What?" He asked with exasperation.

"She set you up Belthazor. Paige came here to tell me you were coming," she let her clothes finally materialise and fixed a drink for herself.

Cole followed her example, then parked himself in one of the large seats in the room, opposite the one she was sitting on. They were quietly sipping their alcohol, staring at the parapet.

She looked up at him first, "it could make it easier for you if you would tell me all about it," she said with considerable sympathy.

That was what made him allow himself to spill his guts to the woman, "I can't go one day without her, Diana. It's distressing me every minute of the day and all the hours I turn around in bed, that she doesn't care about how isolated I am under the circumstances that she created herself as the man she made me be..." He started.

tbc


	3. Under Instructions

Chapter 3: Under Instructions

"You actually made Leo lie to me," Cole shimmered into Phoebe's office at the Bay Mirror upset and offended, not caring about the repercussions of his actions, "so she can what?" He asked angrily, "seduce me into bed? And even if it happened that's gonna change what?" His eyes sparkled with anger, his features were stony. He shook his head in revulsion, "you know what it changes you sending me there? That I know you're not the saint you pretend to be," he blurred away, his eyes overflowing with tears again.

"You don't give me a choice Cole," Phoebe sat down at her desk, "making myself undesirable in your eyes is just about the only thing I haven't tried yet..."

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"I'm sorry Cole, I really am," told him Diane where he blurred back to after the row with Phoebe and she shimmered right next to him from a few steps away, embracing him for solace.

He didn't refuse it. Actually, he nestled into her neck, "what should I do?"

"Stop hiding from reality. If anyone, I know what that's like to be part of two worlds, but neither of them really accepting you because you are different. You have to accept that if you want to find a way to happiness, cause fighting against it won't get you anywhere. But you don't have to do it alone though. I'm here you know," she touched his face lightly to make him look into her eyes and seeing no resistance there she gradually reached up to his mouth with hers, uncertainly this time.

He grabbed her arms, shoved her back. "I don't wanna play. I want the real thing. I want a partner in all."

"Yeah, that's what I would've wanted as well when you were Belthazor, you remember that don't you? I could only hope you would be more like me one day."

Cole didn't answer back at first. Finally, was all he could think. At long last. Somebody loved him. She loved him, a good-looking, incredible, attractive woman who he always admired for double crossing the source and living her own life. Rationally, he realized she was the most essential being in his life just because she loved him. But was he able to love her back and forget about Phoebe? He had spent years of training in the brotherhood hankering after Diana, but it was another period of his life, when he didn't experience genuine love yet. After meeting Phoebe, he would've never thought it will be another demon who exhibits love towards him, as they should be incapable of real love, but she was not. And she had always loved him, but he was too demonic to notice before. This was what he had always wanted. When he pulled her close, he felt something deep inside of himself awaken. And it felt terrific and liberating like real love should.

The End.


End file.
